And the world turned upside down
by Sapphos-Daughter
Summary: Rated R for later chapters. Sarah's cousin comes onto the scene. Disabled, a wiccan, and a lesbian. She'll be sure to shake things up a bit!
1. the call, and she's off again

Note: I don't own any of these characters except for Nadia and her lover (haven't decided on a name yet). This is my first Witchblade fic, so all reviews are welcome (including flames).

Kenneth Irons frowned in annoyance as Sarah's cell phone rang suddenly during an argument about the Witchblade. He didn't understand why she didn't just turn off the darn thing. With interest and a bit of surprise, he watched the scene unfold before him.

Sarah, for her part also looked annoyed as she snapped open her cell phone to see who was calling. Her expression quickly turned to one of surprise as she suddenly spun on her heels to face the wall.

"Nadia, oh my gosh, sweetie... are you okay?!" She said, concern and a slight bit of panic entered her voice as well. There was then a very long silence as she listened to whoever was on the other line. "Uh-oh... okay, call me as soon as you can, I'll be on stand by. No, I'll chew your mother out later when I know your safe, don't worry about it you know where the spare key is if I'm not there to meet you."

Kenneth was even more surprised when Sarah hung up her phone and started to exhaust her slang vocabulary with some very interesting results. It took a few minutes to clam down, and by this time the Witchblade was also upset. With her green emerald eyes brewing as though they were twin thunderstorms, she turned back to Kenneth.

"Sorry about that, but a family emergency just came up. May we continue this at a later time?" The tone of her voice was carefully civil, as though she was walking on a very thin ledge and not sure if she trusted herself with full rein.

He hadn't lived this long by being a fool. He knew when to back down and let the womyn have her way. "Whenever it is convenient for you Ms. Pezzini." Kenneth replied, bowing slightly.

Sarah simply nodded and double-timed it out to her bike. Her expression was as blank as the beach at dawn.

'It appears that we may have a new player in the game, one who is very close to Sarah... this should be interesting...' Kenneth thought to himself as he headed back to his office to contact Ian and inform his son about this new twist.

(And that is the end of this prologue, short I know, but I didn't want to give anything away. 5 reviews and I'll post the next part. See ya!)


	2. Enter Nadia, and chitchat

(Thanks to all of you who reviewed. I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Once again I do not own any characters except for Nadia and her lover. Another 5 reviews or more will get another chapter up on the site! I live on feedback, the more I get, the faster I write. Happy reading!)

The harsh buzzing of his phone jerked Ian out of his brooding thoughts. He answered it quickly, hoping it was about Sarah.

"Ian, it seems we may have a new player in this game, a girl who is very close to Sarah. Find out what the connection is." Kenneth ordered his son in a bemused tone of voice.

"Yes father." Was all Ian could think of to say, completely lost in absorbing this new information that had to do with the one woman he loved. After hanging up the phone, he stared into the window of her apartment, lost in his own thoughts.

About an hour later, he heard the sound of the bolt lock being opened by a key. Ian rose slightly and moved carefully out of view without loosing sight of the room, expecting it to be Sarah coming home. What, or who, came though that door made his jaw drop wide open in complete surprise.

A young woman with short messy looking red-gold hair slowly rolled her wheelchair inside, as she was clumsily trying to hold onto a rolling suitcase with one hand while driving with the other. He winced in silent sympathy as the door banged shut as she drove though, banging into her arm and shoulder. The tearstains on her cheeks spoke of pain, but did not mar the fierce pride burning in her blue-gray eyes. She wore oversized sweatshirt and jeans, as though she had been in a hurry and threw on the first things that came to hand. Copper framed glasses had made her eyes look larger than normal in her sweet oval face.

Slowly this new player made her way to the sofa that was in the middle of the living room before giving up and loosing her grip on the suitcase. Resting her right hand in her lap, she rubbed it as though it ached. From where Ian was perched outside the window he could see that the hand was not right in it's form with the joints twisted and jerky movements. As she sat there, she seemed to relax a bit, as though she knew that she would be safe here without question.

The sound of the door opening announced Sarah's arrival. Ian was surprised to see the mixture of worry, concern, and absolute fury that battled for expression on her face.

"NADIA!" Sarah screamed her cousin's name in relief and joy. Forgetting the door, her gun fell unnoticed from her shoulder to the floor with a heavy thud as she ran the short distance in her cousin's side, unbuckling the younger girl's seatbelt and lifting her out of her chair to spin her around. "I was so worried about you! Are you all right?! What happened? Did you get hurt?!" Sarah's words tumbled and tripped over each other as she squeezed her frail looking cousin tightly as though to reassure herself that the younger one was safe in her arms.

"Sarah..." Nadia squeaked, squirming slightly. "Sarah, your crushing me... and I need desperately to empty my bladder..."

"Uh-oh!! Okay." Sarah laughed while carrying her to the bathroom. "I'll put you on the pot, then I'll start dinner. You must be very hungry!"

Nadia nodded in feverant agreement. "Good idea to both of them. I didn't exactly feel safe on the streets."

Sarah nodded and shut the bathroom door, so whatever reply she made wasn't heard. After a minute, Sarah came back out of the bathroom alone. Ian took this time to quietly open the window and slip inside while she was distracted with dinner. He was a bit surprised to hear her humming softly under her breath and had to fight down the green-eyed monster of jealousy that surfaced suddenly within him.

"So, who's your little friend there?" Ian asked, hiding his smile as Sarah whirled around in surprise and anger. He was startled to see the level of protectiveness in her eyes.

"That is none of your concern! Are you spying on me again?!"

"Sarah! Are you okay? I didn't know your boyfriend was coming over!" Came Nadia's shout before Ian could answer.

"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!!" Sarah shouted back, laughing even as the anger flashed in her forest green orbs. She made her way to the bathroom, with a big grin on her face.

A few seconds later, the two women came out of the bathroom, both of them looking a bit more calmer and happier. Sarah went back to her cooking, while Nadia drove over to Ian and begin to circle him.

Ian sensed that this was part play and part 'I-want-to-get-your-measure-since-your-going-out-with-my-cousin'. He saw the thinly veiled worry in her eyes even as she joked around with them "Not bad for a male, but still not my type. Lucky for you Sarah!"

Sarah just grinned while shaking her head. "Go get unpacked woman, it's almost time for dinner."

Nadia laughed and left the room, carefully rolling her backpack in front of her.

Ian moved silently to help Sarah. "Start talking, who is she?"

(Hahaha, cliffhanger! Review if you want more!)


	3. Nadia's story

(Here's the next part everybody. It's been a long time since I've seen the show. So if the characters are a little OCC, I'm sorry, I'm just trying to make them a little more… human. Who knows what the characters are really like outside of the shows? You know the drill, 5 or more reviews and you get a chapter 4. Enjoy!)

Sara's emerald eyes turned hard and frosty in response to Ian's question. Nadia's arrival had thrown her off balance, but she remembered that Ian could pose a very real danger to her cousin if given half a chance. Still, he was here, and Sara really didn't feel like arguing about it. After all, Nadia was tired, and the last thing Sara wanted to do was upset her even more.

"I still say that that's none of your damn business, but since you asked, Nadia is a very distant cousin of mine-"

"A few times removed, and after tonight, excommunicated from the rest of my so-called loving family." Nadia finished cheerfully, though her smile never reached her eyes, as she reemerged from her room. "Can I help in any way with dinner Sara?" She asked as she reached them, looking at Sara expectantly.

Sara just grinned and handed her cousin the plates. "Put these on the table." Quietly, however she whispered to Ian. "Enough, don't ask anything else right now. Just play along."

Ian smiled and bowed his head in acknowledgement. He would bide his time, perhaps Nadia could be an ally in more ways than one. For now, he wanted to find out more about this girl. As he helped set the table, he noted just how fragile Nadia's hands looked. 'An enigma, something tells me that there's more to her than meets the eye. What does Sara know that I do not?' He thought.

Dinner was mostly idle chit chat, asking about school and college ideas. The laughter didn't sound forced, but it didn't sound natural either. Ian noticed that there was no talk of boys or of family, which said a lot of what had driven Nadia here.

It wasn't until after dinner that Sara seemed to gather her courage and ask the big question. The witchblade deepened in color, as though in concern. The tension in the room was almost unbearable. Ian quietly stood and moved to the other side of the room, though still within hearing range, hoping that would help the little girl feel more comfortable.

"Nadia honey, where is your ring?" Sara asked gently, knowing that Nadia would understand the real question being asked.

"In the garbage, where is belongs, along with all her letters!" Nadia snapped softly without venom. The sorrow and hurt clear in her voice. "She dumped me for a fling and then outed me when I told her that I refused to work with her, I said that I wanted nothing to do with her!" The laughter was bitter and strange. It sounded as though she couldn't get enough air in her lungs.

Sara's mouth tightened and her hands balled into fists. Feeling the nails biting into her palms, she relaxed as best she could. Though the anger burned deep in her veins she made sure that the expression on her face was neutral and compassionate.

Ian kept his face expressionless. He was catching bits and pieces of the conversation. Though there was nothing wrong with his hearing, he was unfamiliar with the lingo the girls were using. It didn't sound like a mere breaking of a friendship. It sounded as though… No, it couldn't be.

Could it?

Ian in particular wasn't exactly homophobic, but he wasn't happy seeing Sara around gay or lesbian people. Bloodlines notwithstanding, he didn't feel that Sara should be helping Nadia. After all, Sara could get hurt because of Nadia. Mentally shaking himself, he turned back to the conversation.

"… And of course you know how my parents are. Ha! I didn't know they were religious like that. Sure, they've got a bible or two lying around they house but I didn't even know they were Christian. When they heard that their daughter was an activist and had been the whole school year right under their noses, well…"

"Put their pants in a bunch didn't it?" Sara asked, not bothering to keep the glee and mirth out of her voice. "An open hearted treasure like you who thinks for herself would be their worst nightmare! How did you escape?"

"Thank Mara for that one! I called her on my cell phone as soon as I could, and she snuck over to my house to help me pack. She helped me find a plane and gave me money. Threatened to skin me alive if I tried to pay her back too!"

Sara threw her head back and laughed, having to lean on the back of the couch for support. "Well, it's nice to know that some things haven't changed! Too bad she couldn't come with you!"

Nadia's smile was peaceful and unforced. "No, Mara said she'd cover for me and lead them off my tracks. I promised to call her later tonight if I got here safely. I'm going to have to buy another card for my cell, cause I only have eight minutes on my phone left and I don't want to run up your phone bill."

The stern look that crossed Sara's face almost made Ian burst out laughing. "Oh no, Nadia, you don't need to pay me. I'm making good money now, considering old prickle face is in charge again and he's out to get my goat!" She grinned as the remark did as was intended and made Nadia double over in laughter. Sara waited for the laughter to stop before continuing. "Besides, anything that helps you is well worth it, you are after all my favorite cousin in the whole wide world. You know that. Stay here for a while and let the wounds heal before you start living on your own here."

"You just want me to stay in order to give you an excuse to be lazy and have girl parties!" Nadia laughed, shaking a finger at Sara, her eyes glowing with laughter. "Either that, or you are secretly hoping my ex will call so you can chew her out!"

Sara held her hands up in a defenseless gesture. "Ouch, guilty as charged on both points!" She agreed with a grin. "Especially to the second one! Life is never dull and boring with you around, I missed you little Hope."

Nadia smiled and held open her arms. "You need a hug Sara, and so do I."

Sara laughed and hugged her tightly. "You haven't been eating well, you're too thin. I'll have to cook more for you while you're here."

Ian raised an eyebrow and wordlessly walked over to join the hug. Sara hated to cook, he knew. When Sara finally let go, Ian hugged her too. More to feel just what prompted her remark then out of any affection towards the girl. He felt the thin and fragile body in his arms and silently agreed with Sara. Nadia was too thin, knew the steady pulsing he felt going though his arms was the beating of her heart, he knew now why she wore oversized clothes. Meeting Sara's eyes over her shoulder, he knew that Sara knew why as well.

His attention was brought back to the present when Nadia began to wiggle. "I need to breathe please sir." Came the polite request and gentle reminder. With a smile he let go.

"Jeez, the two of you must practice giving bear hugs." Nadia said as she ran her fingers though her rumpled hair.

The two adults looked at each other, and knowing exactly just how absurd that sounded. The simply couldn't help it but to burst out laughing and couldn't stop until both of them has to sink to the floor.

Nadia smiled down at both of them and decided a retreat would be the best course of action. Leaving them collapsed in their laughter, Nadia quietly rolled our into her bedroom, shutting the door.

Only then did she start to cry, the tears running silently down her face.

Some heart wounds took a long time to heal.


	4. Telephone tag

Sorry for the long wait, but I haven't been able to get to a pc in a while, I know that this is short, but the next one will be longer! You know the drill, R&R

* * *

Sara and Ian both picked themselves off the floor after their laughing fit, struggling to breathe. Panting for breath, it was all they could do to stagger upright to their feet.

"God… I forgot how hard she makes me laugh…" Sara got out.

"Does she do that all the time?" Ian groaned, griping the back of the couch for support.

"Sometimes. She says I don't laugh enough, and that it's her job to make me laugh." Sara replied with an affectionate smile. "Nadia's the best there is in that crazy bunch she calls a family."

Ian raised an eyebrow but did not comment. Instead he turned around as the door to the guest bedroom opened again.

"Having fun?" Nadia called cheerfully as she drove toward them. Ian could see that her eyes were slightly red, though the rest of the damage had been expertly repaired.

"Always, when you're around Nadia!" Sara called back, laughter in her voice. The Witchblade seemed to flash in agreement. Walking over, Sara hugged her cousin again.

The sharp ring of the telephone made all three of them jump, and Nadia began to look nervous.

Sara strode over to the phone with her lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes promising hell for whomever was on the other end of the line.

"Hello? Oh yes, hang on a moment." Sara put her hand over the mouthpiece. "Nadia, it's Mara."

"Thank the Goddess…" Nadia whispered before she took the phone from Sara. "Mara? Yes, I'm fine… What? Oh my… yes… You said WHAT! Oh Mara…" Nadia burst into peal upon peal of laughter, nearly dropping the phone. "I can't believe that you… MARA!" Nadia's face turned the color of a brilliant sunrise as she listened to her friend. "I'm shocked Mara! Shocked!" Laughing again, Nadia shook her head. "All right, call when you can. Bye."

Sara all but jumped on her when Nadia put down the phone. "Well? Well? What happened?"

"Mara sent my parents to Alaska!" Was all she could get out.

"Al.. as.. ka.." Sara mouthed before breaking out in a huge grin. "That was sneaky! Good for her!"

Ian couldn't help but share Sara's grin. "Nicely done, this would give them time to cool off their heels!" He agreed.

Nadia laughed. "That's true." Smiling, she stared to go back to the kitchen when the phone rang again.

Sara snagged it up again, but this time, her face went blank. "Okay… yes… on my way." Dropping the phone back on the hook, she shook her head. "Back to work for me. Will you be all right Nadia?"

"Yeah, no problem. Take Ian with you."

Sighing Sara nodded in agreement. "All right, all right. Come on Ian."

Surprised that Sara was giving in so quickly, Ian quickly followed, reminding himself to speak to his young ally later if there was time.


End file.
